Big Mayfly found at The Dam
THIS is one for the entomologists among the family. I was wading out at Bull Shoals on the last burst of low water when I came across this mayfly just below the Dam. Now there had been unusual reports of big “march brown” mayflies being spotted on the White, so I got Mark Lavelle, whose camera possesses a better macro than mine, to take a pic.
Did it hatch there? Maybe but possibly more likely it was blown off Bull Shoals lake and deposited on the White, we had a lot of this occurring in summer below Beaver Lake. But then again look how many other species were deposited in the Tailwater when the flood gates were open.
Any way who has the ID on this bug. It was a size 10 Id say. After the photo session we set it free _ floated unmolested as far as we could follow in the fog.
We get plenty of big mayflies up here. I’m guessing a brown drake or one of the smaller hex bugs (recurvata I believe is the smallest.) Not a March brown though, they have yellow and brown spotted legs.
Hexagenia??
here are the people to ask.
http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/783
Sure looks like a brown drake. Usually a sporadic hatch with a spinner fall right at dark or well after dark.
The nymph is an active swimmer and lives/among the stream bottom in somewhat silty areas.
Steve, l am very sure it is spinner of the Hex genus.
My barn door is often covered with the duns in the early morning, and has been for years.
I sent you some pictures last year.
I have seen them emerge below buffalo city in the past, but not in the upper river.
I do not live close to any creek other than the White, but l do have ponds on the property and am not that far from the lake.
Duns as a rule do not travel far once they have emerged, there for l can only conclude they are present in my ponds, as yet l have not seen a dun emerge, which may be for the reason it is at night and l aint looking.
DW